Garrett Crochet Watch Heating Up as Red Sox Enter Final 7 Games

The Boston Red Sox ace took another step back towards Boston on Saturday.

Boston Red Sox left-handed pitcher Garrett Crochet continues his comeback from left shoulder inflammation during a side session at Polar Park on Sept. 19, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The Boston Red Sox got another promising day from lefty ace Garrett Crochet on Saturday on his quest back to the big leagues before the 2026 season comes to an end.

Crochet hasn't pitched in a game since April 25 due to shoulder/lat injuries. Since then, he has been working his way back and recently has been throwing bullpens. On Saturday, he tossed his latest over in Worcester at Polar Park. Crochet tossed about 20 pitches and reached 92 miles per hour. On top of this, WooSox pitching coach Dan DeLucia gave Boston fans some hope by saying he looked "great," as shared by Tommy Cassell of the Worcester Telegram and Gazette.

"Crochet, dressed in a full white Red Sox uniform, tossed roughly 20 pitches and sat in the 91 to 92 MPH range," Cassell wrote. "'He looks great,' DeLucia said. 'It was pretty much what we expected. Like, that was the expectation, go out there and kind of make it an in-between side start. No, actually probably a tick above what I think the expectations were, but for the most part, as expected the fine-tuning things, getting on the mound again.'"

The Red Sox Got Another Positive Day From Garrett Crochet

Apr 25, 2026; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Boston Red Sox pitcher Garrett Crochet (35) looks on during the sixth inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

So, what should Red Sox fans make of this?

This is yet another positive. At first glance, the 91/92 MPH fastball may jump out to fans. Of course, that's not up to his peak and is approaching 100 MPH. But that's okay. The fact that DeLucia commented on the throwing session and even said that it was "probably a tick" above what they expected is a sign that he's continuing to make the progress the club has hoped for.

When it comes to Crochet, he has been throwing bullpens for weeks at this point. Earlier in the week, he advanced to a multi-inning up-and-down his last time out. The big lefty followed up on Saturday with a lighter workload. Earlier in the week he got up to 30 pitches and followed with another 20, or so, on Saturday.

For Crochet, the biggest thing to watch next will be when he faces live hitters. Facing live batters is the next big step. When he advances to that level, we'll start to get a real view of how he stacks up and whether he truly looks like himself. The current expectation is that a live bullpen will come early next week. The clock is ticking as well. There are just seven games left in the regular season. The playoffs will begin on Sep. 29. Will Crochet be ready by then? It's still possible.